


Always

by haneuma



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 17:11:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9081832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haneuma/pseuds/haneuma
Summary: "Riku hasn’t noticed him yet, and he’s about to call out to the other when the light shifts, dancing across the redhead’s face and through his hair in a way that leaves the boy almost sparkling; already the shining star that Iori has promised to help him become. Despite himself, Iori feels his heart skip a beat in his chest."


shameless ioriku christmas fluff





	

**Author's Note:**

> giftfic for sabi (twitter @kataangy98) for the idolish7 secret santa!! i'm glad i participated in this, even if i am a bit rusty at writing these days.

Iori isn't really sure what rouses him from sleep, just that he’d been having a very pleasant dream about being buried in a sea of tiny, fluffy Kinakos—a dream he certainly won’t be sharing with any of his group mates—when suddenly he finds himself bereft of his cuddly companions, staring instead at the dorm room ceiling just above him. The pitch blackness of his bedroom tells him plainly enough that it isn't morning yet.

 _'None of the others should be awake at this time,’_ he thinks blearily. _‘Maybe it's Santa-san. It is Christmas Eve, after all.'_

Giving a wry chuckle at his own sardonic thoughts, Iori tosses aside the blankets covering him and carefully climbs down from his bed, intent on getting a quick drink of water and then heading right back to sleep.

He steps softly down the hallway toward the kitchen, tiptoeing past the other members' closed doors. As he steps into the common area, however, he's distracted by a silhouette, motionless in front of the Christmas tree the idol group had decorated together earlier that day.

It's Riku, staring up at the tree with sleep-mussed hair and a half-smile.

Riku hasn’t noticed him yet, and he’s about to call out to the other when the light shifts, dancing across the redhead’s face and through his hair in a way that leaves the boy almost sparkling; already the shining star that Iori has promised to help him become. Despite himself, Iori feels his heart skip a beat in his chest.

 _‘He might think his brother an angel,’_ Iori muses, _‘but the only angel I’ve ever seen is standing right here in front of me.’_

Not that he’ll ever say that aloud.

"Nanase-san," Iori calls softly, mindful of the other members, still asleep in their beds, and Riku jumps, startled by the sudden sound. He turns his attention from the Christmas tree to watch Iori's approach with a guilty half-smile, like he knows what Iori's about to say before the younger boy even says it.

"What are you doing out of bed at this hour? You could catch a chill, you know."

"I couldn't sleep," the redhead admits, turning his gaze back to the tree as Iori steps into place beside him. The multi-coloured lights wrapped around the tree reflect in their centre's wide eyes, twinkling in a way that leaves Iori a little breathless.

"How juvenile of you," Iori remarks, but there's no bite to the words. He follows Riku's eyes to the tree, permitting himself a few moments to enjoy the festive sight and the peaceful hush that the dark of night lends to their usually boisterous dorm.

"I can't help it," Riku exclaims softly, nearly beginning to wiggle in place with excitement. "I love Christmas. Everything looks so sparkly and colourful; it's the one time of year where everyone looks happy!  


"And the sweets! Mom always bought us a special Christmas cake, and I'd always get to sing Christmas carols with Tenn-nii--"

At the mention of his twin Riku's voice trails off, a shadow cast over his eyes that dulls the joyful glimmer Iori had been secretly enjoying during Riku's quiet, but passionate, monologue.

"Nanase-san," Iori begins, not yet sure what to say to banish the melancholy from his unit mate's expression, but Riku cuts him off before he can say anything else anyway.

"What about you, Iori? Do you like Christmas? What was it like at your house?"

If there’s one thing Iori hates it’s watching Riku try to pretend he’s fine when he isn’t, but even though the older boy is clearly trying to distract from his brief loss of composure, Iori allows the subject change.

“Christmas is fine.”

“Just ‘fine’?”

Unable to bear the sad puppy look Riku gives him at his vague reply, he continues.

“I like Christmas. The shop is always so busy this time of year that Nii-san and I spent most of our free time helping our parents by baking extra Christmas cookies.”

“Baking cookies with Mitsuki-san…” Riku’s eyes take on a far-away look, like he’s trying to imagine Iori and Mitsuki in the kitchen together. A slow, muted smile lifts the corners of his mouth up. “That sounds fun. I’d love to eat a special Izumi brothers Christmas cookie!”

Perhaps it’s the late hour, or the spirit of the holiday in the air all around him, but Iori’s next words are out of his mouth before he can even think about them.

“Then tomorrow we’ll ask Nii-san to bake some with us.”

Riku’s eyes widen, and the excitement that floods his features is worth having to rearrange his schedule for the next day.

“Can we really?! Mitsuki-san won’t mind?” Iori can easily envision a tail wagging behind the other boy with his words.

“Of course. Don’t be foolish. I’m sure Nii-san would be more than happy to. And if—“

Iori cuts himself off, turning his eyes away from the other boy and cursing internally as he feels a tell-tale heat creep up his cheeks. He perseveres, though, because any sadness in Riku’s eyes is too much, and Iori would much rather embarrass himself here like this than let the melancholy linger.

"And if you want to sing Christmas carols,” he murmurs, “I’d… be willing to sing them with you. A brocon like you might see me as a poor substitute for that twin of yours, but if you want it, you have my voice. Always.”

There’s a moment of silence that Iori spends looking anywhere but at the other boy, a little awkward for having stated his feelings so plainly, but the sound of Riku’s voice, low and almost awestruck, shakes him from his discomfort and pulls dark eyes up to meet his unit mate’s ruby ones.

“Iori,” Riku whispers, shuffling a half-step closer to the other and dropping his own gaze as a soft blush blooms across his smiling face. He opens his mouth to say more but closes it again almost immediately, giving his head a brief shake before meeting Iori’s eyes again.

“Thank you,” he says simply, blessing Iori with a wide, affectionate smile that warms the dark-haired boy to his bones, erases any lingering threads of embarrassment.

Riku reaches across the meager space between them, hooking a hesitant pinkie finger around Iori’s own, and if Iori shifts his hand to lace his fingers properly with Riku’s, well… only the ethereal glow of the Christmas lights is there to bear witness.


End file.
